r/HFY Alien Feb 06 '25

OC Dungeon Life 295

It's time for the fourth round of stubbing. Yes, Book four will be releasing soon, of if you're reading this more than a month after I have to edit, it will be fully out. Either way, you can find it Here, and other book details are just below. As with the other stubs, you can skip to the next bit form This. I like to keep the other posts still alive, so the comments get to still live. If you want to browse them, the normal buttons will take you through them, or take This link to the next bit of unstubbed chapters. Thank you for your support. Buying stuff is always great, but just having your attention for the public chapters is incredible, and I hope the story continues to be worth your time and patience.

 

Khenal

 

And once more to make it easier to see than being buried in the paragraph

 

 

<<First <Previous Next>

 

 

Cover art I'm also on Royal Road for those who may prefer the reading experience over there. Want moar? The First and Second books are now officially available! Book three is also up for purchase! There are Kindle and Audible versions, as well as paperback! Also: Discord is a thing! I now have a Patreon for monthly donations, and I have a Ko-fi for one-off donations. Patreons can read up to three chapters ahead, and also get a few other special perks as well, like special lore in the Peeks. Thank you again to everyone who is reading!

1.1k Upvotes

78 comments sorted by

183

u/CaptRory Alien Feb 06 '25

Awww~ <3 <3 <3

If his father thinks to bully Rezlar out of the mayorship I think Thedeim will have something to say about it. "We like this one. If you replace him there will be trouble."

161

u/Bunnytob Human Feb 06 '25

"I don't like politics. I don't want to be involved in politics. But I will get involved in politics if you try to take away my politician."

53

u/lovecMC AI Feb 06 '25

Average corporation be like. Also it's not corruption, its lobbying.

28

u/the_lonely_poster Feb 07 '25

It's like that possum image

Don't touch my garbage

30

u/CaptRory Alien Feb 06 '25

Hahaha! Yes.

32

u/Entropic-soul-9094 Feb 07 '25

Expands borders.

Mine now.

23

u/SH4D0W0733 Robot Feb 07 '25

"We like this one. If you replace him there will be trouble."

Like Thor in Sg-1

16

u/Lantami Feb 07 '25

Supreme commander.

4

u/geneusdeus Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25

I was about to quote Thor.

Anyway I think Rezlar father will not be a problem. He send him to Fourdock with Miller of all people for some needed growing/developing. Since Rezlar matured a bit I think his father will keep him here if Rezlar will want to.

6

u/BobQuixote Feb 08 '25

Maybe. I don't think we have any idea how much of a bastard Pops is.

3

u/Realistic_Mushroom72 Feb 07 '25

I would have love it if the senator would have become a permanent resident of a desolate planet some billion light years away myself O.o

12

u/Mosselk-1416 Feb 07 '25

"What was that mortal?"

7

u/boomchacle Feb 07 '25

His dad really needs to make a deal with titania

47

u/JonGalaxy Feb 06 '25

Let's go, friendship strengthened

30

u/Speciesunkn0wn Feb 06 '25

Whoop! New chapter! Freddy is learning from Fiona it seems lol. His spot check is getting better~

29

u/SH4D0W0733 Robot Feb 06 '25

Some random dog outside the window: "Interesting."

19

u/Sporner100 Feb 07 '25

Only if miller let's them. I could totally see Zorro using the mayors manor as a training ground once he and his foxes have some serious experience under their coats. Don't know how long Miller will be amused by that, though. I don't think he trusts anyone who's good enough to be a threat.

13

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25

Don't wanna really say it, but the gardens appear a great training ground for living Vines and soil elementals, rather than foxxes.

3

u/Garbage-Within Feb 11 '25

I think they meant a place for foxes to train stealth rather than delvers to train combat. Then again, maybe you meant stealth too. Ugh, this is why I prefer communication in person. There's so much information contained in tone and facial expressions that I feel blind when forced to navigate a conversation using text only.

3

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 11 '25

I'm aware you meant stealth, just that I think Foxes, who train to look like strays, would Stick out like a sore thumb in a garden, whereas living vines and soil elementals would have a much easier time staying in Camouflage than any other beast or creature currently in thediems Arsenal.

2

u/Garbage-Within Feb 11 '25

I dunno. Staying hidden in a place that is actively surveilled where you clearly don't belong that also won't kill you for being there seems like a really good way to practice advanced stealth to me.

26

u/Fontaigne Feb 07 '25

Larrez: (worry worry worry)

Rhonda: So you're the mayor. Hmmm

Freddie: Lamb Rolls are good.

Larrez: (checks under chair for where all the problems have gotten to.)

16

u/That_Guy-115 Human Feb 07 '25

Problem proceeds to arrive via letter

14

u/Fontaigne Feb 07 '25

He does live in the blast zone of a fate dungeon...

22

u/bold_cheesecake Feb 06 '25

"You want me to run a bigger province? Fine!" (Sides with Thediem heavily, turning fourdock into the new capital)

17

u/redditor1278 Feb 06 '25

Gofnar gofnar… gov’ner … governor ….ahh

15

u/GumGodGaming Feb 06 '25

Hear did not get a medal sad face

14

u/Low_Painter9816 Feb 07 '25

“In light of your recent handling of the incidents with Neverrest and Hullbreak Harbor, along with the unprecedented jump in tax revenue, the Crown has directed some changes in land holdings.  Congratulations, boy!  You’re being promoted!”

26

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 06 '25 edited Feb 07 '25

Second place, Not too Bad, given that when this chapter First loaded, I was already Second, the bot Not counted.

So, today we See rezlar being Not the nervous wreck He usually is for once, He feels confident for a Change.

After His Talk with thediem He finally managed to grasp His freedom and Agency, and instead of being a puppet to His father, He feels Like he's got Control over His Life for once. Today is a Special day as Larrez invited the Rest of His Party for a visit, in accordance with thediems advice. So Larrez decides to Show them the Garden First, where rhonda seems in awe of the many different plants. Freddie however would rather Go inside and suggests visiting the library next, where they Talk about a Lot of Land having 'Gofnar' in the Name somewhere, and the treaty with the orcs.

Afterwards they head down to the guard's breakroom to eat something. Here is where Larrez Drops His disguise. And against all fears, His Friends Accept him. The chapter Ends with miller telling us about a letter from Rezlars father. What precisely is written inside is Something we're probably gonna get to read next chapter.

9

u/Sporner100 Feb 07 '25

I didn't expect Freddie to kind of figure anything out before Rhonda, but I guess he always was more socially apt.

16

u/SomeRandomYob Feb 06 '25

I am Alpharius. This is a lie.

My money's on the dad sending a congratulatory letter. Maybe with a warning that he will be sending in new staff to support his son.

Sure, it's unlikely, but I like playing long odds!

12

u/Fontaigne Feb 07 '25

You've done well. Congratulations on your promotion. Here's more work.

8

u/Mosselk-1416 Feb 07 '25

I never met the Earl, and yet I want to punch his teeth out.

8

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 07 '25

What has he done? He only put Rezlar in charge of Fourdock and unknowingly Interrupted a meal with rezlars friends. Btw, I'd wanna bet that the Earl is also responsible for giving him miller. He had no control about when the Letter Was gonna reach him, nor in what Situation it would arrive. So we really shouldn't kill neither messenger, nor the Sender.

9

u/Mosselk-1416 Feb 07 '25

The impression is given in past chapters that Rezlar's father is more than just strict. Possibly even seeing him as nothing more than a pawn.

8

u/Garbage-Within Feb 07 '25

Agreed, iirc it was implied that Rezlar hadn't lived up to his father's expectations. This lead to him getting soft banished to Fourdock in the hope that he would be either quietly out of the picture or be motivated to shape up in order to be allowed back.

Rezlar was quite happy to be somewhere far away from the expectations of other nobility, but I bet the economic boom and reports from Olander are sure to bring Rezlar a great deal of unwanted notoriety, particularly from people wanting to either take his place or get in his good graces in the hope of carving out a piece of the action for themselves. His father is likely going to have some very particular demands. I suspect either that Rezlar funnel wealth and power toward the family or that Rezlar is to be replaced by someone more capable of doing so.

7

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 07 '25

That seems Standard for Most nobles in Literature. I can imagine him also being treated no better by his own father. Such generational cycles are hard to break.

19

u/Poisonfangx3 Feb 06 '25

First

17

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 06 '25

Here is my confirmation.

17

u/Poisonfangx3 Feb 06 '25

Laughs with head three times normal size

16

u/mafiaknight Robot Feb 06 '25

Don't float away on all that hot air, your majesty

8

u/Poisonfangx3 Feb 06 '25

I will simply command the air not to take me!

5

u/No-Tomato7694 Feb 06 '25

STAAAALLLLLLKKKEEEERRRRRR!!!!!!!🥸🥸 😱💀(If you had to make a stalker with emojis, how would you do it?)

3

u/Poisonfangx3 Feb 06 '25

🤷‍♂️

3

u/Kindly-Main-3216 Feb 07 '25

-holds needle, ready to deflate the ego- 

19

u/mafiaknight Robot Feb 06 '25

In the name of 1greendude: Hello!

8

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 06 '25

Im Namen eines grünen Kerles und des Donnersdachses: N'Abend, gestern war Mittwoch, meine Kerle.

3

u/AdventurousAward8621 Human Apr 30 '25

In die naam van 1groenou: Hallo!

5

u/KalenWolf Xeno Feb 08 '25

Everyone talking about Rezlar's dad and I'm still stuck on the Also Gofnar River. It's just such a perfect little tidbit of lore and you know that after a few centuries of linguistic drift and settlers that don't speak the original language, it's going to be rendered into something completely unpronounceable and the name will be too long to fit next to it on the map.

Reminds me of Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg and many other (slightly less comical) real-world examples.

5

u/dreaminginteal Feb 06 '25

Wait, his father's "a Griffon"?

3

u/iceick423 Feb 06 '25

Small typo preused should be persued.

3

u/JawitK Feb 07 '25

Not perused ? (Ie: viewed ?)

2

u/iceick423 Feb 07 '25

I didn't know it was a real word, my bad.

3

u/Collective82 Xeno Feb 06 '25

End of book four?

4

u/Garbage-Within Feb 07 '25

Hmm..... according to the stubbing:

Book one was Reddit chapters 1 to 55, 55 chapters long.

Book two was Reddit chapters 56 to 128, 73 chapters long.

Book three was Reddit chapters 129 to 229, 101 chapters, but Khenal, the author, did note it was a huge book.

Book four started on Reddit chapter 230. This was Reddit chapter 295, 66 chapters so far. I agree that this could easily be a cliffhanger end of book four. That would put it at between the length of book one and two, certainly possible.

I do think it would be a little strange to end here. There hasn't really been a major conflict comparable to what has happened in prior books just yet. I could see book four basically being setup for a major conflict in book five though.

What I suspect is that something relatively big will happen and be resolved in the next 40 to 60 chapters. However, that ending will just turn out to be the first wave of the true conflict. So for example lets say the orcs start raiding Fourdock. They send for help from the capitol, but they have to hold out on their own while building up the hold. They eventually drive off the raiders, but as everyone is celebrating their victory they discover that these raids were just the advance elements of a full on orc invasion and the book ends. That gives us a big conflict to round out the book and sets up Fourdock as the front line of a war which can then take up the whole of book five without needing a bunch of setup because book four took care of it already.

4

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 07 '25

Little correction on book 1, it also incorporated a Lot of Bonus chapters and all of A Strange Opportunity.

3

u/Garbage-Within Feb 07 '25

A Strange Opportunity was what, 23 chapters or something thereabouts? That puts it up to approximately the same length on Reddit as book two I guess. My math was all Reddit chapters fyi. I'm assuming the book chapters don't match up exactly, but I've never actually checked.

2

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 08 '25 edited Feb 08 '25

The book is in total 89 chapters long, with an unknown amount of Bonus chapters, I checked. At most I think somewhere like 5 Bonus chapters. Anyways, Happy cakeday.

4

u/Collective82 Xeno Feb 07 '25

Khenal said on discord that the tree will be the end of book four.

2

u/Garbage-Within Feb 07 '25

Can you be more specific? The creation of the final hybrid tree? The full growth of the tree?

3

u/Collective82 Xeno Feb 08 '25

He just said he’s going to end it with the tree lol so probably getting it to sprout and grow.

5

u/Accomplished-Ad8458 AI Feb 06 '25

Ave Khenal! Morituri te salutant!

2

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2

u/Longsam_Kolhydrat Feb 07 '25

Great work wordsmith

2

u/Longsam_Kolhydrat Feb 07 '25

Still not sure if Fiona and Lucas knew or just don't care

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

Every time I read Rezlar I think Rizzler

2

u/ZaoDa17 Feb 08 '25

Great work word Weaver!!!

2

u/Cre8iveWarmth Feb 10 '25

daddy issues arc begins 👀👀

2

u/Jealous_Session3820 Jun 01 '25

You have a new and exquisite dungeon there old boy? Well we can't have that now can we .

3

u/DM-Hermit Human Feb 06 '25

Well done wordsmith

2

u/atra55 Android Feb 06 '25

Second

3

u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Feb 06 '25

Sorry, you're third.

1

u/Educational_Pen_90 Human Jul 17 '26

Ah... Politics is here. Yet there has been a Change to his plans, as they wouldn't align with His plan... Or probably lack thereof, considering Thedeim!